LOS ANGELES (AP) - Soaring temperatures swept across California on Sunday, triggering warnings about the potential for wildfires due to hot and windy conditions.
Coastal areas hovered in the 70s to 80s while temperatures in inland areas of the state rose to 100 and above, the National Weather Service said.
San Francisco had a high of 98 degrees while the mercury in downtown Los Angeles hit 96 degrees.
In Northern California, firefighters were facing hot, dry and windy conditions as they battled a wildfire in rural Sonoma County. The fire, which broke out Sunday morning in rural Cloverdale, spread to 1,500 acres, or more than 2 square miles and forced about 90 people to evacuate from their homes, state fire officials said.
The fire was threatening The Geysers, a large geothermal field that provides electricity to Sonoma and its four neighboring counties.
“It’s really scary when you see it out of your backdoor,” resident Brad Pitkin told KGO-TV about the blaze.
In Southern California, red flag warnings of explosive fire conditions are in effect until Monday afternoon as the first major Santa Ana winds of the season are expected to bring 30- to 50 mph gusts across the mountains and coastal valleys.
Forecasters said the gusts could down tree branches and power lines and make driving difficult.
“With very dry fuels already in place, extreme fire behavior and rapid growth will be likely with any fire ignition,” the weather service warned.
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